The basis for immunotherapy is the manipulation and/or modulation of the immune system, including both innate immune responses and adaptive immune responses. The general aim of immunotherapy is to treat diseases by controlling the immune response to a “foreign agent”, for example a pathogen or a tumor cell. However, in some instances immunotherapy is used to treat autoimmune diseases which may arise from an abnormal immune response against proteins, molecules, and/or tissues normally present in the body. Immunotherapy may include methods to induce or enhance specific immune responses or to inhibit or reduce specific immune responses.
The immune system is a highly complex system made up of a great number of cell types, including but not limited to, T-cells, B-cells, natural killer cells, antigen-presenting cells, dendritic cells, monocytes, and macrophages. These cells possess complex and subtle systems for controlling their interactions and responses. The cells utilize both activating and inhibitory mechanisms and feedback loops to keep responses in check and not allow negative consequences of an uncontrolled immune response (e.g., autoimmune diseases or a cytokine storm).
The concept of cancer immunosurveillance is based on the theory that the immune system can recognize tumor cells, mount an immune response, and suppress the development and/or progression of a tumor. However, it is clear that many cancerous cells have developed mechanisms to evade the immune system which can allow for uninhibited growth of tumors. Cancer/tumor immunotherapy (immunooncology) focuses on the development of new and novel agents that can activate and/or boost the immune system to achieve a more effective attack against tumor cells resulting in increased killing of tumor cells and/or inhibition of tumor growth.